11.26.2010

Some people spend the day after Thanksgiving shopping until they drop but the highlight of my day after is leftovers. And I try to stop eating before I drop.

Did you know that "turkey sandwich" is decoded differently for different people? One of us likes small slabs of white meat with dill pickles and mustard on sourdough bread cut on the diagonal, while someone else likes bite-sized bits of dark meat slathered with cranberry sauce on cranberry walnut bread with no cutting required. We make our own sandwiches just the way we like 'em, thankyouverymuch.

Long ago we learned "mouthwash" means antiseptic medicinal flavor for one of us while someone else likes the tingle of minty-freshness. We keep the two different varieties on the bathroom counter.

You say toe - mate- toe, I say tah - motto.

The holiday season is so full of details that can make our differences stand out in greater relief. Take note of the differences but beware of them growing into irritations that can snowball into disconnection. In our household we keep things in balance by allowing everyone to make their own sandwich, and by having two bottles of mouthwash on the bathroom counter. It's not likely that everyone can have everything they want but figure out how little differences can be resolved in your household, and proudly declare (in your best French accent):